Skincare Simplified

Honestly! Skincare is so complicated!

What should I be doing? How often should I be doing it? What products should I use? It all seems so complicated.

Now I know there is nothing new here but I am going to explain what should be done and how and - perhaps just as importantly - what should not be done or what you should think about when thinking about your skincare routine.

Complete Skincare Routine

Before we go into the basics and the minimum of what is required I think it would be useful to explain what an ideal, complete skincare routine should be. The routines are split into 2: AM (morning) and PM (evening) and then there are further refinements with weekly additions and there are of course contra-indications to all of it. The routines are listed in the order in which the product types should be used so as to help you ensure that the products are being used correctly in order that you may benefit from the products you have spent your hard earned money on. This is a complete skincare routine and the order in which the products should be used, but there are many things to consider when planning your own skincare routine.

Contra-indications

When considering the complete skincare routine think about the following contra-indications:

• Sensitive skin types may not be able to exfoliate and use a mask as often.
• Less sensitive skin types may be able to use a daily use exfoliants and masks more often.
• Products that contain more intense resurfacing ingredients such as those with Salicylic Acid, Fruit Acids or Retinol for example will require less frequent use and the building up of tolerance over time. They must always be followed by SPF when used in the morning.
• Any medications that are being taken on a regular basis might also have implications for use of some elements of the skincare routine and medical advice must always be followed and must always supersede any non-medical advice given.

Simple Skincare

If you have the time and the money then the ideal skincare routine is the way to go, but if you need something simpler then this is where our Simplified Skincare Routine comes in.

Cleanser

Your cleanser is where it starts. The cleanser is used, as it's name implies, to clean your skin and to remove debris, pollutants, dirt and sebum that build up naturally and need to be removed to "prepare" your skin for the products that come after. There are many different types of cleansers including foaming cleansers, cream cleansers, cleansing oils and cleansing balms and they all have their own special benefits and also help when considering your skin type - which is critical in any skincare routine.

Exfoliant

There are many different types of Exfoliants and you should choose one which is applicable to your skin type and price point and works in the way you like. There are physical exfoliants which have particles in which help to scrub, lift and remove all of the debris and pollutants from your skin through the mechanical action of applying them to your skin. Take your time with these and remember that you are not trying to remove your skin by applying lots of pressure. Be gentle and accurate and take your time. The other main type of exfoliants are the chemical exfoliants which perform the same job buy by using gentle products that remove the dead skin and other unwanted things using the power of chemicals - -such as fruit acids.

Moisturiser

Your moisturiser is always the last to be applied. There are too many moisturisers to talk about, but again go on skin type. The moisturiser is all about putting the good things, that come away too when cleaning and exfoliating, back in to your skin as a final step in your routine. Two things I always say to people to remember about moisturisers:

1. Don't use them around your eyes. It is the wrong product and the ingredients can be too much for the delicate eye area.
2. There is no point using a moisturiser unless you have cleansed first. You will just be wasting your money.

Example Routines and Packages

We have put together a set of Simple Skincare Routine Packages from each of our top Skincare Brands to help you use the right products together at the right time, and to save a little bit of money as we are offering them at a discount. Each of the packages is designed for either Normal/Dry or Normal/Oily skin as this will cover the majority of people, if not all. They are gender neutral and therefore work for everybody. The full list are below or you can just search for #skincaresimplified in our search box at the top of the page.

Written by Natasha (Tash)